Party Poker Blog

I'm reposting this article from the NYT because a subscription is needed to view it.

But mostly because it mentions The Hammer commercial with Chris "Jesus" Ferguson.
Full Tilt Poker Hammer Commercial

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In one spot, Mr. Ferguson reveals that all he is holding is a seven of clubs and a two of diamonds, which is emphasized by sight gags like a neon sign appearing overhead reading, "That's right." An announcer intones: "Sometimes you want to advertise your bluffs. It makes your opponents second-guess themselves. Mostly, you're setting them up for later."
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New York Times Article:

Promoting Poker Online - FULL TILT


A campaign for a poker Web site hopes to attract not just players but also students — of the game, that is.


The campaign is for the Full Tilt Poker Web site (fulltiltpoker.com), one of a number that are seeking to capitalize on the new craze for playing poker set off by the wave of televised games on cable networks like Bravo, ESPN and Travel Channel. The television, print and online campaign, with a budget that is planned to reach an estimated $10 million, carries the assertive theme, "Learn from the pros" — the pros being the poker champions affiliated with the site, who include Andy Bloch, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Phil Ivey and Howard Lederer.

The campaign was developed by the Bob Wolf Company in Los Angeles and produced by the Los Angeles office of DDB Worldwide, part of the Omnicom Group. They also teamed up last year for a more fanciful campaign for Full Tilt Poker, timed to take advantage of the interest in the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, which humorously appealed to the International Olympic Committee to designate poker as an official Olympic sport.

The new campaign for Full Tilt Poker is indicative of how a fledgling advertising category develops from infancy. Now that the idea of poker Web sites is a familiar one to computer users, who no longer need to be told they exist, the owners and operators of sites like Full Tilt Poker, Golden Palace Poker, Party Poker and Paradise Poker, want to distinguish themselves from each other in much the same way that consumer products like beers, cars or soft drinks strive for differentiation from rivals in campaigns that stress attributes like flavor, heritage, price, popularity or quality.

The poker Web site category "is a very crowded, very competitive space," says Mr. Lederer, who is the president of TiltWare in Los Angeles, which designed the software for Full Tilt Poker and licensed it to a company called Vert Enterprises.

"Our brand in the poker community is already well known, but certainly a lot of people haven't switched to the brand," he adds, "so we're saying, 'This is what we have to offer.'"

By focusing on the poker champions, "we're definitely trying to convey authenticity," Mr. Lederer says, adding: "We're "trying to connect with people watching poker on TV wondering, 'What was he thinking while making that decision?' The way to find out is to speak to him, and you can do that on fulltiltpoker.com."

"People who really like this game want to learn about it, not just play it," Mr. Lederer says. "Getting into the head of Phil Ivey is like getting into the head of Michael Jordan because you want to become a better basketball player."

"I've met people who've told me they watch the same episode of the World Series of Poker on ESPN over and over again," he adds, "because they feel they learn something each time they watch."

That thought is conveyed directly and effectively by the campaign. The print ads, which are to appear in magazines like Cargo, Details and Maxim, feature remarks posted online by the pros to the regular players, like one in which Mr. Lederer advises a player named "Rocco779" that "you need to protect aces like they were your firstborn" and another in which Mr. Ferguson expresses incredulity that a player named "Punjab82" played a bad hand "all the way to the river."

The commercials, to strengthen the authenticity message, are presented in shades of black and white and depict the pros imparting wisdom as they play in the real world (not online) with a regular player.

In one spot, Mr. Ferguson reveals that all he is holding is a seven of clubs and a two of diamonds, which is emphasized by sight gags like a neon sign appearing overhead reading, "That's right." An announcer intones: "Sometimes you want to advertise your bluffs. It makes your opponents second-guess themselves. Mostly, you're setting them up for later."

In a second spot, Mr. Ivey is tuning out what is going on at the table with the help of a large pair of earphones, then stoically tosses his cards away. "Sometimes you just know you're beat," the announcer advises, "and to have to lay it down."



In a third spot, Mr. Lederer is unfazed as his regular-guy opponent ostentatiously celebrates a great hand. Such a sore winner ought to be ignored, the announcer says, because "he's not thinking about the next hand. You should be."

All the spots end with the "Learn from the pros" theme and a Full Tilt Poker logo. They are already up on the Full Tilt Poker Web site and are scheduled to start appearing this week on a variety of TV poker shows.

"If you're into poker, we know why you play," says Bob Wolf, chief executive of Wolf, who worked for more than two decades at Madison Avenue advertising agencies like Chiat/Day.

"You want to win, certainly, but you want to compete and have fun," he adds. "And this is the place to play, because you can learn something."

"Our whole strategy is about what makes our site different, the involvement of 10 of the best players in the world to deliver the best online experience," says Mr. Wolf, who describes himself as an avid poker player.

The players "are not the typical paid endorsers," he adds, "but are invested in TiltWare, helped develop the software, play on our site every day and chat with players."

"It's a huge differentiator," Mr. Wolf says, likening it to affording a golfer "the opportunity to play with Tiger Woods."

"He'll beat you," Mr. Wolf adds, laughing, "but it's a great opportunity."